This marinated green olive bean salad is dressed in a creamy chive basil dressing that gets absorbed by the beans for a delicious and refreshing bite. No cooking required and perfect for meal prep!
For those days that feel a little too hot, maybe just prep a bean salad because they can pack quite the punch in nutrition. Whether it is prepped for an easy lunch or used as a side for any meal, you can rest assured you can nourish yourself with minimal effort.
Why You’ll Love This Marinated Bean Salad
- No cooking required! If you’re struggling with the heat, just know this salad requires no oven time. So, prep a large batch and enjoy straight out of the fridge if you’re looking to stay cool this summer.
- It will make you enjoy beans. Marinating beans is one of my secrets for making beans more enjoyable. Over time in a delicious marinade, the beans will soak up all the flavors they are drenched in.
- A nutrient packed salad. Having a combination of beans, veggies, and herbs provides protein, fiber, iron, and additional antioxidants that are designed to fuel you.
- Easy to customize based on what you have. The base of this bean salad uses a lot of canned and jarred items, which are easy to keep on hand at all times in the pantry or fridge. Feel free to swap for other ingredients as you see fit. I have suggestions listed below.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beans: I used a combination of white beans and chickpeas. You can always double the bean you like or swap for different beans you love. Red kidney beans, black beans, or butterbeans can be great examples of alternatives.
- Onion: Red or white onion can work for this salad.
- Bell Pepper: Adding bell pepper is a great way to add vitamin C to this recipe, which will help you better absorb the iron from this salad. Use any color bell pepper you like. Alternatively, you can try this with diced cucumber or zucchini.
- Olives: I like green olives best, but you can use other types of olives like Kalamata olives. If not a fan of olives at all, try this with 1/3 cup jarred sun-dried tomatoes.
- Artichoke Hearts: I recommend using the jarred marinated variety as they will have more flavor compared to canned varieties.
- Pepperoncini: Mild sweet peppers grown in European countries like Greece and Italy that you often find pickled. That pickling process gives them a nice sweet and sour taste that works great in salads and sandwiches. You can swap this with pickled jalapeño, banana peppers, or more artichoke hearts.
- Herbs: I used parsley, basil, and chives to help flavor this salad, but feel free to change up the combo based on your preference. You can swap the basil for dill or include more chives in place of the parsley.
- Mustard: Dijon mustard works best to emulsify the dressing, but you can also swap with 1 tbsp of vegan mayo instead.
How to Make This Marinated Green Olive Bean Salad with Chive Basil Dressing
Pickle the onions: If desired, rinse sliced onions in cold water before starting. In a large bowl, combine the sliced onion, lemon zest and juice, syrup, oil, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Massage the mixture into the onions with clean hands to soften them. Let sit for 5–10 minutes while you prep the remaining salad ingredients.
Build the salad base: Add the beans, bell pepper, olives, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, parsley, and basil to the bowl with the onions.
Make the dressing: In a blender, combine garlic, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, maple syrup, mustard, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Add basil and chives, then blend again until the herbs are finely minced and the dressing is creamy.
Mix and marinate: Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
Serving suggestions: Before serving, stir the salad again. For serving mezze-style, arrange pita, spreads, and fresh veggies of choice around a serving of the bean salad. Then enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Let the beans marinate. This is the type of salad that builds flavor as it sits in the dressing. For good flavor, consider letting the salad sit in the dressing for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Add more veggies. You can add cherry tomatoes, arugula, kale, diced cucumber, or more bell peppers to add extra antioxidants to your meal.
- Mellow out the flavors of the onion. Onions naturally have a sharp taste to them. To help mellow out that flavor, consider rinsing your sliced onions under cold water and draining well before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
The only gluten containing ingredient would be the pita suggested if making this into a mezze platter. Easily swap with your favorite gluten-free crackers or pita.
Yes! The vegetables and dressing hold up well in the fridge making it great to meal prep in advance. Once dressed, store the bean salad in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
There are a couple of ways to add protein to this recipe. If you tolerate soy, I highly recommend serving this bean salad with some marinated tofu or some shredded toasted tempeh to sprinkle on top. For a soy-free option, consider serving with some seitan, high-protein vegan sausage on the side, or blending some nutritional yeast into the dressing.
Make It Balanced
This bean salad can be enjoyed as is or enjoyed with extra additions that will help make this salad more filling and satisfying. You can always serve your bean salad in a wrap or treat it like a snack plate like I chose to. Here are some examples of what you can include:
- Hummus or bean spreads
- Pita bread or whole grain crackers
- Marinated tofu
- Extra veggies (think mini peppers, cherry tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, pickled veggies)
More Bean Salad Recipes to Try
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
Description
This marinated green olive bean salad is dressed in a creamy chive basil dressing that gets absorbed by the beans for a delicious and refreshing bite. No cooking required and perfect for meal prep!
Bean Salad
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- Zest and juice of half lemon
- 1 tsp maple syrup or sweetener of choice
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- 1, 15 oz can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup castelvetrano olives, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup jarred marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
- 8 peperoncini peppers, stems removed and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves, minced
- Handful of basil leaves (about 10 small leaves)
Chive Basil Dressing
Mezze Serving Suggestions: cherry tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, baby gherkins, sliced pita, hummus or bean spread
- Add the onions, lemon zest and juice, syrup, oil, red pepper flakes, and a generous pinch of salt to a large mixing bowl. With clean hands, massage the ingredients into the onions to until softened, then set aside for 5-10 minutes to chop up the remainder of your salad ingredients.
- When ready, add the beans, bell pepper, olives, artichoke hearts, peppers, parsley and basil to the mixing bowl.
- To a blender cup, add the garlic, lemon, oil, maple syrup, mustard, and a generous pinch of salt. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the basil and chives, then blend again until the herbs are minced and the dressing is smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the bean salad and give everything a good mix to combine. Cover and allow the salad to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to give the beans time to absorb the flavor.
- Give the salad a good mix before serving. To assemble a mezze plate, cut or prepare the suggested ingredients. Arrange the vegetables on a plate with a spread for dipping, a generous portion of the bean salad, and pita. Then enjoy!
Notes
Let the beans marinate. This is the type of salad that builds flavor as it sits in the dressing. For good flavor, consider letting the salad sit in the dressing for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Add more veggies. You can add cherry tomatoes, arugula, kale, diced cucumber, or more bell peppers to add extra antioxidants to your meal.
Mellow out the flavors of the onion. Onions naturally have a sharp taste to them. To help mellow out that flavor, consider rinsing your sliced onions under cold water and draining well before serving.
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